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Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy could be providing coming attractions for the Syracuse Crunch

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Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, center, poses with Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman, right, and head amateur scout Darryl Plandowski, left, after the Lightning took him in the first round of the 2012 NHL draft.
(Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Syracuse, N.Y. — Tampa Bay goalie prospect Andrei Vasilevskiy has continued to raise his game to a higher level of competition at the World Championships in Belarus.

Competing for his native Russia, Vasilevskiy has denied 66 of 67 shots in two games, good for a 98.5 save percentage and a 0.50 goals-against average.

Will his next test come as a member of Tampa Bay, the organization that took him in the first round of the 2012 draft?

Or will he need a little professional seasoning with the Syracuse Crunch?

That issue will be addressed in training camp, but as Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune writes, Vasilevskiy continues to forge a huge reputation that will precede him when he jumps over to North American play in 2014-15.

"Tretiak also broke into the national championship and the national team when he was very young," former Soviet Olympic champion Alexander Pashkov told iihf.com. "Like (Tretiak), Vasilevskiy has great natural ability and last season he was the strongest goalie in the (Kontinental Hockey League). You could also see this in the last two World Junior Championships.

"I'm sure he can become a world-class player."

Former Syracuse Crunch star Tyler Johnson got a good look at his organizational peer at the Worlds. Johnson, who just finished his rookie season with Tampa Bay, was on the U.S. team that Vasilevskiy beat.

"I would say what stood out for me is that he is a big goaltender, but he's just so athletic," Johnson said. "He looks down and out on certain situations and he was still able to make the play. So, he remained very calm and that's something as a young goaltender you don't see too much.

"But it's awesome to know that he's going to be in our organization, on our team. It's definitely going to be better to have him on our side than playing against him, that's for sure."

Next year at this time, especially if Syracuse is still kicking around in the playoffs, Crunch fans could be in a position to agree.